The Album Review Club - Week #126 - (page 1531) - All Mod Cons - The Jam

[Saddleworth2]

This Album isn’t on Amazon music for some reason.

 

[BimboBob]

Aha - welcome back. I sent out a message to you recently and didn't get anything back. I also did a forum search that showed you hadn't been on the forums since the 28th December. No crime in any of this by the way, just showing you my thinking.

When I was setting up round #2, I did say that both you and CruBlue1 had contributed significantly to this thread and would be allowed to drop in when you were ready. So if you can be ready for next Tuesday (18th), you're on. Just let me know so I can change subsequent dates accordingly.

Add me to your new list, I can wait...

 

[mancity1]

Ha ha -- clues 4 and 5.

As you know I'm a HUGE Gang of Four fan ( I'm sure I'm the only one who had them on my list of best bands) and also a big PiL fan -- plus a music fan generally -- so I knew the name of Nick Launay and some of who he'd worked with including both those bands, as well as Kate Bush (and the Talking Heads too, among dozens).

The political hiatus seemed like it could be Midnight Oil since Peter Garrett is a politician dressed as a rock musician and I remembered he quit the band to run for something in Australia. It certainly wasn't going to be Sonny Bono! The other clues about being big in their home and a band we'd heard of suggested same.

So I looked up Nick's discography and sure enough there he is producing MO -- which I hadn't known before -- and then looking up the album cover clinched it :)

Great get Fog , FWIW being an Aussie I would have got it straight away given my knowledge of the Oils as they are coined over here and Bill Walker I think would have nabbed it as well but as per usual I was asleep at the wheel.

Peter Garrett is actually a singer / songwriter first and foremost who through his work as head of the Australian Conservation Foundation was a reluctant sitting member of the Australian Labour Party when everyone who knew him thought he would eventually become leader of the Greens Party but he had a change of heart thinking he could make more of a difference in mainstream politics.

he found out what being a politician was really like and couldn't wait to bow out and return to his first love and I was quite surprised he lasted 9 years.

have had the pleasure of meeting him and his wife Doris on a number of occasions , a decent bloke , not pretentious and always interested in telling anybody interested how his craft of song writing came to pass.

 

[mancity1]

Cheers, Bill. Glad you enjoyed it.

The "Union jack" part of the lyrics is interesting, although I see it as Australia debating whether to remove it from their flag rather than have a full-on revolution and I have no problem with the words.

I have read a bit about Peter Garret's time in government and like many before him, I do get the impression that he tried to do the right thing but found out, like you say, that it ain't easy trying to get things done in the real world. As we know, anything can be done by the man that doesn't have to do it!


Thanks. I think there is a bit of polish to this in places, but overall it does have an organic sound and I think Nick Launay's production is superb. Funny how two people have come on and scored it and have both seen Midnight Oil whereas I never did! Looks like I may not get the chance as their final tour is currently Australa and New Zealand only, although there are rumours of some international dates, COVID permitting. I might just make the effort and try to get to any UK gig.

Still amazed that out of all the Top 100 voters, I was the only one to pick Midnight Oil - another reason for me choosing them for this thread. Oh, and I forgot to mention, there are no Midnight Oil albums in Colin Larkin's Top 1000 list.

My favourite albums:-

1. Earth and Sun and Moon
2. Diesel and Dust
3. Blue Sky Mining
4. Capricornia
5. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 - been listening to this one a lot recently

if I had of voted Rob I would have had Midnight Oil in the mix but I am biased and would not have been in the top 100 (lol)

I would have been one of the few if any who voted for Gordon Lightfoot for example.

Great band live seen them many times , really know how to put on a show sad that Bones left us so young albeit he was not in the original line up and IMO by far their best line up.

Played all those you mention over and over again on my travels across this great nation of ours many a time in my 20's and thirties.

 

[RobMCFC]

if I had of voted Rob I would have had Midnight Oil in the mix but I am biased and would not have been in the top 100 (lol)

I would have been one of the few if any who voted for Gordon Lightfoot for example.

Great band live seen them many times , really know how to put on a show sad that Bones left us so young albeit he was not in the original line up and IMO by far their best line up.

Played all those you mention over and over again on my travels across this great nation of ours many a time in my 20's and thirties.

Whilst Bones only joined after Diesel and Dust, and as I said I've never had the pleasure of seeing them live, he really seemed to contribute a lot to the vocal sound of the band - e.g. the second vocal on "One Country" from Blue Sky Mining.

How did you get to meet Peter and his wife on several occasions?

Hope you are going to put a score on the board.

 

[mancity1]

Let me first cap of the rank and I will be quick as I have listened to this album over 100 times at least and its one of 4 MO albums on my playlist.

Some stand out tracks on this album , In The Valley , My Country , Feeding Frenzy and Drums of Heaven which is unusual for me as 3 of them were released as singles and usually I find the better tracks are those not released into mainstream listening.

Hirst as good as ever and the usual edge to the songs is ever present.

For a band classed as alternative they produced some great harmony and melody and were first class live.

Not my favourite album of theirs but not far behind and refreshing for me at the time as Aussie music was going through a lull.

Great choice Rob really good choice from an Aussie band who have stood the test of time and beyond ok Bones was a NZ man who first came to our shores as part of a ensemble called the swingers where he really looked out of place.

8/10.

 

[mancity1]

Whilst Bones only joined after Diesel and Dust, and as I said I've never had the pleasure of seeing them live, he really seemed to contribute a lot to the vocal sound of the band - e.g. the second vocal on "One Country" from Blue Sky Mining.

How did you get to meet Peter and his wife on several occasions?

Hope you are going to put a score on the board.

I was a labourite in my younger days in my role with the CPSU or the Public Sector Union back then and Peter would come into our offices to discuss recruiting members as many labour pollies and conservationists did back then in recruitment drives.

He and his wife were inseparable incredible when you think of a " rock star " and their lifestyle even to this day.

Down to earth , incredibly intelligent and a workaholic.

Always followed through on his promises to the union and not surprised he eventually albeit as I said reluctantly had a career in mainstream politics.

Extremely passionate about the environment and a mover and shaker as much as one can be in the machine of politics when it was not fashionable to be so and in the days when conservationists actually cared about the environment in a meaningful way and acted accordingly.

 

[RobMCFC]

Some stand out tracks on this album , In The Valley , My Country , Feeding Frenzy and Drums of Heaven which is unusual for me as 3 of them were released as singles and usually I find the better tracks are those not released into mainstream listening.

Yes, the first three of those are in my 10/10 tracks on the album, along with "Truganini".

Where this album also resonates with me is in what I call the "middle" tracks - i.e. take away the 3 or 4 tracks that you put on playlists and always rave about, and what do you have left? Well for me, "Renaissance Man", "Earth and Sun and Moon", "Bushfire", "Drums of Heaven" and "Now or Never Land" all fit into that category and "Outbreak of Love" is not far off. For me, there are no bad tracks on this album and only "Tell me The Truth" is average.

 

[mancity1]

Yes, the first three of those are in my 10/10 tracks on the album, along with "Truganini".

Where this album also resonates with me is in what I call the "middle" tracks - i.e. take away the 3 or 4 tracks that you put on playlists and always rave about, and what do you have left? Well for me, "Renaissance Man", "Earth and Sun and Moon", "Bushfire", "Drums of Heaven" and "Now or Never Land" all fit into that category and "Outbreak of Love" is not far off. For me, there are no bad tracks on this album and only "Tell me The Truth" is average.

Well at least on this album Rob we are in unison as I also think Tell me the Truth ranks lowest of a very fine album and its the song I listen to the least of all the tracks.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

Third listen.
I’m liking it but constantly finding something holding my enthusiasm back.
I know people on here have lauded the production, but I’m finding the distraction of trying to find a good/not perfect mix of bass treble and vocal so that I can hear what undoubtedly is wonderful musicianship and also hear what Garrett is singing about a bit of a pain.
It could just be my shitty Bluetooth speaker or it could be the equaliser on Apple Music is crap. Either way I’ll play it on Spotify next. Their equaliser options are much better in my experience.

Anyway in this battle the band are winning in my house and I favour them over the vocals which I still find myself tuning out of.

I really want to love this album but am still finding him a stumbling block.

I think as a whole they are much more enjoyable live with visuals, as per the videos Rob posted.